The Silver Screen Oasis

Preston Sturges' first job as a director and writer in The Great McGinty is on tap tonight on TCM 9/25 at 10PM EDT. Political corruption is on the menu, with a sparkling, yet dark aperitif of The Great McGinty. This may well be Brian Donlevy's best role ever, (right up there with Sgt. Markoff in 1939's Beau Geste), thanks to a smart, funny, and insightful script about the rise of a Depression era bum voting numerous times, (for a price) and his fall due to his growing awareness of the guilty world around him--and the unexpected, not entirely convenient love of a good woman (played by Muriel Angelus) . There are some great turns by Sturges' favorite William Demarest (seen below with Brian Donlevy), as a savvy politico and Akim Tamiroff as a kingmaker.

If you like your Dashiell Hammett straight, with no chaser, its a really good story supported by Brian Donlevy, Alan Ladd and Veronica Lake, then tomorrow night's rare showing of The Glass Key (1942) at 11:30PM EDT on TCM may also be for you. These movies offer some entertainment with some salient points about our political system...then and now. Enjoy!

I think Donlevy's work in The Glass Key is exceptional, both for the era and for the balance of his other roles.
I particularly like the scene near the close when Brian "pops" around the corner and coldcock's Bendix's glowering goon character, and then treats Bill to a big, toothy, one-Mick-to-another/how'd-that-feel,-fella grin.
I guess what I really appreciated in Key was that it provided a role with enough room for Donlevy to really strut his stuff in, and one that had more than just two dimensions: for all his shady gladhanding & dealcutting, BD's character reaches the end credits smelling rosier than just about anybody else in the cast!

Early in The Great McGinty Brian Donlevy (McGinty ) is told by Bill Demarest to go the polling place located at the intersection of Clark & Washington and to ask for Bill or something . I wonder what large Mid - Western city has an intersection Clark & Washington. Ken - Native of a certain mid - western town.

I have mixed feelings about The Glass Key. The two romantic leads are poor in this film (Ladd's mugging in his close-ups is downright annoying), but the support is excellent and more than makes up for this. As was said, this is one of Donlevy's, better roles, but top marks should indeed be given to Bendix (as Klondike noted). Bendix's Jeff is one of the great henchmen of Gangster/Noir and he pulls no punches in a role that is still unnerving over 60 years later! Joseph Calleia is also superb as the slimy Nick Varna.

Fans of The Glass Key might also enjoy the Coen Bros. Miller's Crossing (1990), which pays homage to this film and the Gangster genre in general.

Here's a great Bendix scene from The Glass Key (We gotta give him the works!):

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